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Thera 5.5: Vadda
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(202):Vadda Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter V. Five Verses =202. Vaḍḍa= Reborn in this Buddha-age at the city of Bharukaccha in a commoner's clan, and named Vaḍḍha, he grew up in due course.1 Now his mother, distressed at the continuity of rebirth and death, entrusted her son to her family, and entered the Monk’s order among the bhikkhunīs(nuns). She thereafter won arahantship(enlightenment). Her son, too, entered the Monk’s order under Thera Veḷudanta, and learning the Buddha-Word, became learned and eloquent in preaching. And one day, feeling the responsibility of office, he thought: 'I will go alone and see my mother, nor put on my (monk’s) dress.' So he went to the 195 bhikkunīs'(nun’s) quarters. His mother, seeing him, rebuked him: ' Why are you come here alone and without your (monk’s) dress?' And he, convicted in doing that which was unfit, returned to his Vihāra(monastery), and seated in the day-room, there attained arahantship(enlightenment), testifying to aññā(supreme attainment) under the aspect of ascribing his achievement to his mother's admonition: ---- 335 Sādhū hi kira me mātā patodaɱ upadaɱsayi,|| Yassāhaɱ vacanaɱ sutvā anusiṭṭho janettiyā,|| Āraddhaviriyo pahitatto patto sambodhimuttamaɱ.|| || 336 Arahā dakkhiṇeyyomhi tevijjo amataddaso,|| Jetvā1 namucano senaɱ viharāmi anāsavo.|| || 337 Ajjhattaɱ ca bahiddhā ca ye me vijjiɱsu āsavā,|| Sabbe asso ucchinnā na ca uppajjare puna.|| || 338 Visāradā kho bhagini etam atthaɱ abhāsayi,|| Apihā nūna mayi'pi vanatho te na vijjati.|| || 339 Pariyantakataɱ dukkhaɱ antimo'taɱ samussayo,|| Jātimaraṇasaɱsāro natthi dāni punabbhavo' ti.|| || ---- 335 O well in truth my mother used the goad! I marked her word, and by my parent taught, I stirred up effort, put forth all my strength, And won the goal, the enlightenment supreme. 336 Ar'hant am I, meet for men's offerings.2 Thrice wise, the ambrosial vision I see; Conquered is Namuci(deathlord/mara) and all his host,3 And now I live from now on sane and immune. 337 Yes, the intoxicants(defilements/desires) that once were there, Within, without me,4 are extracted clean; Nothing did remain nor may they re-appear. 338 Lo! wise and ripe in grace the Sister5 was, Who spoke this word of hidden good to me: For you now even as for me, son, No jungle of the mind did bar the way. 339 A final barrier is made to sorrow. Last mortal frame is this, to which belongs The way world without end of birth and death, Nor ever comes more rebirth you. ---- 1 Anupubbena vaḍḍhati. This (here) unusual turn of phrase refers doubtless to his name, which means 'growth,' 'increase.' The mother's story is given in the Sisters, lxii. ff. She speaks also for him, but except for the 'spur' -literally, 'goad' - motive and the 'jungle,' she places a different saying(gatha) in his mouth, a by-proof of the difference in authorship (see Introduction). The wearing undergarments as outer - i.e., leaving the cīvara behind - is commented on in Vinaya discipline (Vinaya, iv. 281). Presumably the Thera in this put his sonship before his office. 2 = verses 296, 516. 3 Namūcī a name for Mara(deathlord/devil) 4 I.e., bahiddhavatthukā, 'having external bases or causes' — e.g., objects of sense, misguided teachers, heavens, etc. 5 Bhaginā, lit., sister. ---- =5.5 202 Commentary on the stanza of Vaḍḍhatthera= The stanza starting with sādhūhi constitutes that of the venerable thera Vaḍḍha. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating acts of merit conducive towards escape from the rounds of repeated rebirths in this and that existence, was reborn in a wealthy householder’s family, in the city of Bhārukaccha when this Buddha arose; having gained the name Vaḍḍha, he grew up in due course. Then, his mother, having well-become remorseful in the rounds of repeated rebirths (saṃsāra) handed ober her son to her reletives became a bhikkhunī in the presence of the (other) bhikkhunīs, and doing the deed of developing spiritual insight vipassanā), she attained Arahantship and on a subsequent occasion, she made her son, who had attained the age of intelligence, become a monk in the presence of the thera Veludanta. Having become a monk, he acquired the learning of Buddha’s teachings (vacana), became a much learned teacher of truth (dhamma), and bearing the burden (dhura) of studying scriptures (gantha) he, one day, went to the nunnery of bhikkhunīs saying to himself; “Alone but inner and outer (santaruttaro) I shall see my mother.” On having seen him, his mother enquired (codesi) thus: “Why have you come here along but inner and outer (antaruttaro)?” On being put to task by his mother, he roused up his remorse saying: “An unbefitting matter has been done by me.” went back to (his) monastery, had himself seated in his day stay (divāthāne), developed spiritual insight (vipassitvā), attained Arahantship and spoke these stanzas, revealing his Arahantship, by way of making manifest the prosperity of his mother’s advice. 335. “Indeed, it may be said that my mother had done well in making her urge on me showing the goad. Having listened to her word, as admonished by my mother (janettiyā), I had my exertion well begun, my mind well directed (towards nibbāna), and I attained Arahantship, the highest height of enlightenment. 336. “I became an Arahant, the worthy recipient of dedicated donations, possessed of three-fold knowledge (tevijjo) who visualised nibbāna; having conquered the army of Māra, I dwell free from cankers (āsava). 337. “Whatever cankers existed in me internally as well as externally all of them had been cut asunder without remainder; they do not spring up again. 338. “Indeed, O Sister! (bhagini!) You are full of confidence (visāradā); you spoke to me this (advice) for my benefit (attha); surely, in me also you bore no affection (piha); in you there is no jungle-growth of attachment (vanatho). 339. “Painful misery (dukkha) had been put an end to all round; this collection of confections (samussaya) is the last (antima); there does not exist, now, the rounds of repeated birth and death as well as another new existence.” There, Sādhū kira me mātā, patodaṃ upadaṃsayi means: Good, indeed, that my mother showed me the goad reckoned as advice; on that account my exertion became brightened up (uttejenti) and penetrated (vijjhi) into the head of wisdom (paññāsīse) in the most excellent limb (of my body). Yassā means: of my mother. Sambodhiṃ means: Arahantship. Indeed, here, this is the interpretation:– On having been admonished by my mother (janettiyā), I, having heard her word which had become her admonition, had my exertion well begun (āraddhavīriyo) and my mind (atta) well-directed (pahita) and dwelling thus, I had attained Arahantship, which constitutes the most excellent foremost fruition and self-enlightenment. Arahā means: because of the state of being far away from those forms of depravity; dakkhiṇeyyo means I am the worthy receipient of dedicated donations owing to my being the field of merit (puññakhetta). Tevijjo means: possessed of threefold knowledge because of the state of having achieved such three kinds of knowledge because of the state of having achieved such three kinds of knowledge (vijjā) as the knowledge of (my) former abodes (pubbenivāsa) and so on; amataddaso means the seer of the deathless because of (my) having visualised nibbāna; Namucino senaṃ means: the army of Māra; I dwell blissfully as one free from cankers (āsava) but because of having conquered him, after defeating the bearer (vāhiniṃ) of depravity (kilesa) by (my) army of the wings (pakkhiya) of wisdom (bodhi). Now, he spoke the stanza starting with “Ajjhattañ ca” in order to make more manifest (pākaṭatara) the meaning of what has been said as “Anāsavo (free from cankers).” Its meaning is:– Ajjhattaṃ means: the internal basis (vatthu); bahiddhā means: based externally; āsavā ye means: those cankers of mine before my attainment of the noble (ariya) path (magga). Vijjiṃsu means: they were being obtained; ucchinnā means: all of them had been cut asunder without remainder, and discarded by the noble (ariya) path (magga); now, they will not but spring up and appear again on any occasion (kadāci). Now he spoke the stanza starting with “Visāradā” in order to praise (his) mother, on account of the state of his having attained Arahantship after having made (his) mother’s word as his (guiding) goad (aṅkusa). There, visāradā kho means: definitely devoid of doubt (sārajjā). “Bhaginī”- means: the thera spoke addressing his mother as “Sister,” in order to say of the state of being the bosom son of the Master by the attainment of Arahantship of himself and (his) mother in this manner. Ettamatthaṃ abhāsayi means: she spoke this matter (attham) which had become the advice for me; in admonishing me; however, in this manner, it is but not altogether in confidence (visāradā); as a matter of fact (atha kho) apihā nūna mayi pi means:– as a matter of fact (atha kho) I think (maññe) you are not affectionate to and have no association with your son even; in other words, why with this device (parikappana)? Vanatho te na vijjati means: such jungle-growth as ignorance (avijjā) and so on does not exist in your bodily system (santāna), in that you urge me on towards exhaustion of existence; thus, is the significance. Now, he spoke the concluding stanza, starting with “Pariyantakataṃ,” in order to show thus: “Tayā niyojitākāren ‘eva mayā paṭipannaṃ (but in the manner urged by you the proper performance had been made by me).” Its meaning is but clearly comprehensible. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Vaḍḍha is complete. ----